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Leicester confirm 10 leavers list includes Wiese, Porter and Dolly
Leicester have used their down week following last weekend’s Investec Champions Cup round-of-16 exit at Leinster to confirm the list of 10 players who will leave the Tigers at the end of the current season.
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The exits of players such as Springboks No8 Jasper Wiese and Scotland midfielder Matt Scott were already known, while former Wallabies scrum-half Joe Powell left the club at the start of the calendar year.
However, the departures of the likes of England internationals Guy Porter and Nic Dolly are a new development. Midfielder Porter was capped by Steve Borthwick as recently as the Summer Nations Series match in Wales last August, while Dolly was capped under previous head coach Eddie Jones before a serious injury sidelined him.
A statement read: “Leicester Tigers are set to farewell a group of senior squad players at the end of the season. Forwards Francois van Wyk, Nic Dolly, and Dan Richardson will finish up their time with the club, Jasper Wiese having already confirmed earlier in the season the current campaign will be his last in Leicester.
“Outside backs Guy Porter and Matt Scott will also move on at the end of the season with centre Phil Cokanasiga’s joining Welsh URC club Ospreys. Tigers also previously agreed to early releases for lock Sam Carter and fly-half Charlie Atkinson, with Mike Williams, Joe Powell and Ben Woollett having departed earlier in the season after their short-term deals.”
Leicester general manager Richard Wilks said: “In professional sport, you invariably have to say goodbye to good people at the end of each season and with this group, they are all very, very good people.
“All these lads have made massive contributions to the club. When we look back on the likes of Jasper, Nic and Guy; there’s a lot of pride in their development, becoming international players whilst at the club and they will be missed around Oval Park.
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“Those guys, Matt and Francois were also big parts in winning a Premiership title for the club. Those memories will live on past their playing careers. We wish all our departing players the best for the future they will always be warmly welcomed back at Leicester Tigers.”
Leicester Tigers 2023/2024 Farewells
Phil Cokanasiga, Tiger #2381
Nic Dolly, Tiger #2348
Guy Porter, Tiger #2330
Joe Powell, Tiger #2407
Dan Richardson, Tiger #2359
Matt Scott, Tiger #2325
Jasper Wiese, Tiger #2339
Mike Williams, Tiger #2235
Ben Woollett, Tiger #2413
Francois van Wyk, Tiger #2350
Great to see you Johno ?
Privilege to have Martin Johnson at Oval Park today. pic.twitter.com/rPpO0dvqWd
— Leicester Tigers (@LeicesterTigers) April 12, 2024
Comments on RugbyPass
Great role model.
2 Go to commentsOne significant tell, not a single Waratahs player stopped to whinge to the ref about Finau’s tackle. They got on with playing the game. Great tackle.
8 Go to commentsWouldn’t be a bad move if Ireland pulled into SA with a young side. Particularly in Pretoria. Invaluable experience getting thumped in the bosveld.
57 Go to commentsIreland. The Princess Diana of Rugby. I never cheered so much for a team as i did for the All Blacks in that QF.
57 Go to commentsWill be great to see the Leinster first XV back in action again after their cotton wool time…
1 Go to commentsLooked up Grant Constable on google and reply was doppelgänger for Ben Smith
57 Go to commentsIt is so good that we now all get excited and debate who is best and emotionally get involved. We all back our teams which is great. Up until about 15-20 years ago, NZ was basically on its own, and then Saffa, Aussie and sometimes French and English were there. We now have at least 5-6 really top sides and another 4 who keep improving. This is so healthy. So we should not resort to rubbish comments and unhealthy debate, but rather all be chuffed that the product we watch is not competitive, exciting and often uncertain. It would be so good if World Rugger could find a way to align the rules to professional players as well as spectators. Live rugby games are SO boring as there is SO much down time as we wait for refs and TMOs and whoever else to look at every small event going back endless phases with the hope of eventually find a minute infringement to then decide cancel what was a wonderful try. This is the ultimate cork back in the bottle moment and feels like every balloon is always being popped. Come on- we must be better with the rules.
57 Go to comments“upon leaving said establishment I tripped over a stool knocking some bottles into the air and as I fell I accidently dislodged a police officer’s teaser who was passing by on an unrelated matter there by landing on said taser which caused it to discharge 50,000 watts into me. Out of shock I shouted Ireland are going to win the world cup. Upon waking up I apologised for the distress caused by my Ireland comment. The matter is closed. If you wish to pursue this matter may I remind you what I told Wayne Barnes when he sent me off. I AM A BIG ASS MAN”. Or was it “I AM A BIG ASS, MAN” or was it “I AM A BIG ASSMAN”?
2 Go to commentsThe only championship the Boks hold are: Great value for the incompetence of referees during the RWC Moaning endlessly and champions of spewing utterly ignorant 💩 at all times. Displaying the dangers of a third world education End of.
57 Go to commentsSouth Africa and Rassie do a phenomenal job of treating the 4 years in between World Cups as nothing more than a training exercise to build squad depth. The Six Nations money that keeps Irish rugby afloat is unfortunately too important to allow the same approach, and basic population size means we'll never get close to matching the depth of South Africa, England and France. That being said, Irish rugby is in a relatively good place and slowly improving inch by inch. If the other three provinces can pull the finger out and actually develop some players it'd be even better.
57 Go to commentsGood on Clarke for taking on the criticism and addressing his deficiencies, principally his laziness.
2 Go to comments“It is the people’s favourite against the actual favourite. It is the people’s champions against the actual champions. I’m joking, but it’s going to be a fantastic series.” Why did Darcy make that joke knowing it would be used as click bait? Why did RP headline it as a serious comment? Anyway, the tired comment isn’t very astute. SA players may have played more games etc. Darcy over estimated as a pundit.
57 Go to commentsNot sure Frisch will ever make the French team with Depoortère and Costes waiting in the wings to take over from Danty and Fickou.
1 Go to commentsThe Irish are tired and the Boks are old. The test series won't confirm who is best in the world, it will confirm which team needs to pursue the task of rebuilding with the most urgency.
57 Go to commentsGrant, the first time I have seen an article written by you. Maybe I have missed your previous stuff. These days all professional players effectively play a common season so all top players are equally tired, or rested. That is the job of the coaching ticket to build squad depth and juggle resources so players are ‘ fresh’ when the big games come. Possibly Ireland are less inclined to juggle squad compared to Rassie, who is prepared to take the risk to rest players as well as build depth throughout the year so come WC he has a full squad, experienced and rested enough to win 7 games. After all, to win WC you need to get through the tournament and then win the final big 3 games. Ireland should try and build a bit so come final 3 they are ready. So far only played final 1(QF). I am so looking forward to the Irish tour. Hopefully Rassie has enough time to align his guys, as he draws them from across the globe, and not from 2 sides locally( eg Leinster, Munster). No excuses, going to be exciting.
57 Go to commentsIn football, teams get fined and sometimes docked points for deliberately fielding weakened teams yet Leinster can pretty much do as they please with no comebacks. Could it be because Ireland run the URC? Could it be that Ireland run the ERC? Whichever it is, it stinks!!
6 Go to commentsIreland are only the People’s Champions in Irish eyes. The rest of the world do not care for them very much because of attitudes of people like Gordon, Ferris, Best, Jackman…I could go on!!
57 Go to commentsNot sure how Karl Dickson can ever ref a Quins game, he played for the club for 8 years as understudy to Care and is still close friends with half the team
3 Go to commentsAre bookies taking bets on how many times Vunipola's eventual statement will use the term “elders"? My money is on at least 4 times.
4 Go to commentsSo Ireland will be tired, despite having the most rested test squad in the world. They only play tests, champions cup and urc play off games ffs! Case in point; Leinster sent a B squad to SA for their last two games while their first xv rested up and trained at their leisure for the sf vs Saints at the so called ‘neutral venue’ of Croke Park. So tired? Do me a favour… And as for “people’s champions”? Seriously??? Outside of Ireland they are respected for their ability to win 6N. And of course plenty of inconsequential test friendlies without any real pressure. WC ko games when the pressure is white hot? Not so much…
57 Go to comments